The ABC allows comments on some of our articles, as a space for you to contribute your thoughts about news events and participate in civil conversations about topical issues.

All comments are moderated and we make no guarantees that your contribution will be published.

Reply

Author

Email

Date/Time

01 Apr 2015 10:03:49am

Text

PreviousMessage

I'm not sure whats being advocated here is mindless belief though Lizzie. There are weaknesses to Botton's line of thinking, in part due to its populist delivery. Yet in the same vein, some religious people hold onto faith as a form of personal security, even if they are plagued by doubts. I look at the call of Jesus, to deny yourself ie let go of ALL your securities, ALL yourself in the light of truth. Is it not actually possible, that strangely, some people who have lost a literalist faith, have so, precisely because they felt compelled to put this same principle of self denial into practice - that is to abandon comfortable certainties in the 'holy' light of the chaos or evolving understanding of order that is Truth?

I think the depth of a persons integrity to themselves and in turn to the world actually rests and falls on this very point.

Recently in an Attenborough documentary, I was confronted by the reality of a group of chimpanzees who will spend up to four hours or more hunting down highly intelligent monkeys that live in the tree tops. When they find them they will aim to kill the mother and child as they are both the weakest and easiest catch. Few Christians today believe this occurrence is the result of Adam's fall. The ordered 'randomness' of evolutionary chance has brought this about. How do I/ we really come to terms with this? One can imagine our ancestors at that long 'point' in their evolution, when the full implications of this became totally apparent, being aghast. Is there an 'answer'? Or like Isaiah can we on one level only cry, 'I am undone!' for my eyes have seen reality.

I genuinely ask, where is the angel with the hot coal from the altar who will cleanse me/us ?

Are we properly acknowledging that we are 'undone'. Are we honestly seeking to be cleansed by the reality in the temple, or fleeing from it to stabilize our own sense of security at the expense of truth?